Hiring Scorecard Template¶
Hiring without a scorecard leads to inconsistent evaluations, recency bias, and decisions based on gut feeling rather than evidence. A scorecard defines what you're looking for before you meet candidates, and ensures every candidate is evaluated against the same criteria.
What problem this solves¶
Without scorecards:
- Different interviewers evaluate different things.
- Feedback is vague ("I liked them" vs. clear evidence).
- Decisions favor candidates who interview well over those who would perform well.
- Bias operates unchecked because criteria aren't explicit.
A hiring scorecard solves this by:
- Defining required skills before interviews begin.
- Creating consistent evaluation criteria across candidates.
- Forcing feedback to be evidence-based.
- Making trade-offs explicit in debrief discussions.
When to use this¶
Use a scorecard for:
- Every role you're hiring for.
- Every candidate who reaches the interview stage.
- Calibrating interviewers on what you're looking for.
The scorecard should be created before you start interviewing, not adapted to fit the candidates you've seen.
Roles and ownership¶
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Hiring manager | Creates the scorecard. Defines required skills and success criteria. Leads debrief. Makes final decision. |
| Interviewers | Evaluate candidates against assigned skills. Provide evidence-based feedback. Submit scorecards before debrief. |
| Recruiter | Ensures scorecards are completed. Facilitates debrief scheduling. Tracks candidate status. |
How to create and use a scorecard¶
Step 1: Define the role¶
Before creating the scorecard, clarify:
- What problem does this hire solve?
- What does success look like in 6 months?
- What level is this role?
This context shapes what skills matter most.
Step 2: Identify required skills¶
List 4–6 skills that are essential for success. For each skill:
- Define what it means concretely.
- Determine how you'll assess it (which interview, what questions).
- Decide who evaluates it.
Be specific. "Technical skills" is too vague. "Can design a scalable API for a high-traffic service" is assessable.
Step 3: Define the rating scale¶
Use a consistent scale across all candidates and interviewers:
- 4 — Strong hire: Exceeds bar. Clear, compelling evidence. Would advocate strongly.
- 3 — Hire: Meets bar. Solid performance. Comfortable moving forward.
- 2 — Lean no: Below bar. Concerns that outweigh positives.
- 1 — Strong no: Significantly below bar. Clear disqualifiers.
Avoid the middle (2.5, "maybe"). Force a lean.
Step 4: Assign interviewers to skills¶
Each required skill should be assessed by at least one interviewer. Overlap is fine for critical skills. No skill should go unassessed.
Step 5: Interviewers complete scorecards¶
After each interview, the interviewer fills out their scorecard with:
- Rating for each skill they assessed.
- Specific evidence supporting the rating.
- An overall recommendation.
Scorecards must be submitted before the debrief to prevent anchoring.
Step 6: Debrief with scorecards¶
In the debrief:
- Review scorecards together.
- Discuss disagreements—what evidence supports different conclusions?
- Make a decision: hire, no-hire, or need more information.
The hiring manager owns the final decision, but it should be informed by all feedback.
Signals that scorecards are working¶
- Interviewers know what skills they're assessing before the interview.
- Debrief discussions focus on evidence, not impressions.
- Candidates are compared against criteria, not each other.
- Hiring decisions are defensible with documented reasoning.
- Diverse candidates receive fair, consistent evaluation.
Failure modes and mitigations¶
| Failure mode | What it looks like | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Scorecards not used | Created but ignored; decisions made on gut feeling | Require scorecards before debrief; hiring manager enforces |
| Vague feedback | "Good communicator" without evidence | Train interviewers; reject scorecards without specifics |
| Skills change per candidate | Adjusting criteria to fit a preferred candidate | Lock skills before interviews; don't modify mid-process |
| Anchoring in debrief | First speaker influences everyone else | Silent scorecard submission before discussion |
| Overweighting interview performance | Favoring smooth talkers over substance | Focus on evidence of capability, not presentation |
The template¶
Role scorecard (created before interviews)¶
# Hiring Scorecard: [Role Title]
**Hiring manager:** [Name]
**Created:** [Date]
---
## Role context
**Why we're hiring:** [What problem this role solves]
**Success in 6 months:** [What a successful hire will have accomplished]
**Level:** [e.g., Senior Engineer, Staff Engineer]
---
## Required skills
| Skill | Description | Weight | Assessment method | Interviewer |
| --------- | ---------------------------- | ------ | --------------------- | ----------- |
| [Skill 1] | [What this means concretely] | High | Technical interview | [Name] |
| [Skill 2] | [What this means] | High | System design | [Name] |
| [Skill 3] | [What this means] | Medium | Behavioral | [Name] |
| [Skill 4] | [What this means] | Medium | Hiring manager screen | [Name] |
---
## Nice-to-have skills
- [Skill that would be a bonus but isn't required]
- [Skill]
---
## Red flags (no-hire regardless of other strengths)
- [Red flag 1: e.g., dishonesty in interview]
- [Red flag 2: e.g., dismissive of collaboration]
---
## Interview loop
| Stage | Interviewer | Skills assessed | Duration |
| ------------------------ | ----------- | ---------------------- | -------- |
| 1. Hiring manager screen | [Name] | Role fit, motivation | 30 min |
| 2. Technical interview | [Name] | [Skills] | 60 min |
| 3. System design | [Name] | [Skills] | 60 min |
| 4. Behavioral | [Name] | Collaboration, growth | 45 min |
| 5. Team fit (optional) | [Name] | Culture, working style | 30 min |
Interviewer feedback form (per interview)¶
# Interview Feedback: [Candidate Name]
**Interviewer:** [Your name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Interview type:** [e.g., Technical, System Design, Behavioral]
---
## Skills assessed
| Skill | Rating (1–4) | Evidence |
| --------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| [Skill 1] | [Score] | [Specific observations from the interview] |
| [Skill 2] | [Score] | [Specific observations] |
---
## Rating scale reminder
- 4: Strong hire — Exceeds bar. Would advocate strongly.
- 3: Hire — Meets bar. Comfortable moving forward.
- 2: Lean no — Below bar. Concerns outweigh positives.
- 1: Strong no — Significantly below bar.
---
## Key strengths observed
- [Strength with supporting evidence]
## Key concerns observed
- [Concern with supporting evidence]
---
## Overall recommendation
**Recommendation:** [Strong hire | Hire | Lean no | Strong no]
**Summary:** [1–2 sentences explaining your recommendation]
---
## Questions for debrief
[Anything you want to discuss or clarify with the group]
Debrief summary¶
# Debrief: [Candidate Name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Role:** [Title]
**Attendees:** [Names]
---
## Scorecard summary
| Skill | [Interviewer 1] | [Interviewer 2] | [Interviewer 3] |
| --------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- |
| [Skill 1] | [Score] | [Score] | — |
| [Skill 2] | — | [Score] | [Score] |
| [Skill 3] | [Score] | — | [Score] |
---
## Individual recommendations
| Interviewer | Recommendation | Key reasoning |
| ----------- | -------------- | ------------- |
| [Name] | [Hire/No] | [Summary] |
| [Name] | [Hire/No] | [Summary] |
---
## Discussion notes
[Key points raised, disagreements resolved, new information]
---
## Decision
**Outcome:** [Hire | No hire | Need more information]
**Reasoning:** [Why we made this decision]
**Next steps:** [Offer details / rejection / additional interviews]
Related pages¶
- People: Hiring Playbook — Full hiring process end-to-end.
- People: Diversity in Leadership — Equitable hiring practices.
- Culture: DEI Strategy — Broader diversity and inclusion approach.